Sai, Sakura and Naruto have been having trouble with team work lately and Sai takes it upon himself to fix it, starting with Sakura. Unfortunately, his questionable methods are only made worse by seeking help from Kakashi and Icha Icha. SaiSaku LEMON

The dark haired
shinobi's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the words on
the page in front of him. While this book was fascinating, what it
spoke of was extremely foreign to him and some of it was hard to
understand, yet every page held enlightenment and opened the young
ninja's eyes to possibilities he had never even considered.

The book seemed to
answer many questions he had regarding interacting with other people,
especially with the opposite sex who were indeed contradictory
creatures and nearly impossible to read. Perhaps he had been going
about things all wrong and it certainly would explain the negative
and often violent reactions he got from some of the females he tried
to associate with.

So engrossed was he in
his reading, he missed entirely the few people that were shaking
their heads silently in dismay as they passed, whispering behind
their hands to each other that he would surely turn out just like his
team leader if he kept reading that sort of thing.

He finished the last
page of the book and sighed, closing it with a snap as he leaned back
in one of the many wooden chairs in Konoha's public library, his
brain sifting through the information he had just ingested. He would
have to go back and reread some of the more intriguing parts and then
gather more books to continue his research. If the methods in this
book proved effective, he would be able to strengthen his bond with
his team, namely the frequently violent female, and make them a more
efficient unit.

Sai stood from his
seat, taking the orange jacketed paperback with him as he departed.
Once he was done studying this book, he would have to go ask
Kakashi-sempai for more. It seemed there were endless ways to
interact with a woman in order to strengthen a bond with her and he
had not done any of them. It was no wonder their team performance had
been disappointing lately.

Why, just last week
Naruto had given their position away to the enemy in an embarrassing
display of disorder when he had lost his temper and yelled at him
from their hiding place in the trees. Sai had nearly lost an eye to
the kunai that had been hurled in their direction by an enemy nin.
The last thing they needed were two members of Team Kakashi earning
the nickname "Cyclops".

Really, Sai didn't
understand what Naruto got so worked up about. He had merely
commented on the size of Naruto's penis and the blonde had
instantly flown into a frenzy, yelling obscenities and alerting the
enemy to their presence.

The ink user had seen
his male friend change in the locker room more than once so he wasn't
saying anything that wasn't true. Apparently having a small penis
was directly linked to being an angry individual. The theory made
sense considering women had no penis at all and the majority of the
ones he knew were usually angry, violent and all around frightening.

Once he was done with
his research of the female species, he would go find Sakura. Surely
she would agree to anything that made their team function better as a
unit. She seemed to get along just fine with Naruto but he knew that
they already had engaged in some of the activities described in the
book he held, or at least that's what he'd heard from Sakura's
loudmouthed friend in the flower shop.

The annoying blonde
girl had been giggling and speaking enthusiastically to a kunoichi
from another team as Sai sat on a bench outside the shop, sketching
various images onto the pad of paper he always carried. He couldn't
help but hear their excited voices as Sakura's friend informed the
girl with twin buns on her head that Sakura and Naruto had gone home
together after a particularly rambunctious night at the bar. Sai had
vaguely remembered being invited but had opted to stay home and put
the finishing touches on a painting instead. It appeared his team had
decided to partake in bond strengthening activities without him and
he regretted his decision not to go.

Neither Sakura nor
Naruto had ever said anything about it in his presence but he could
detect a subtle shift in they way they acted towards each other. The
blonde wasn't quite so whiney and seemed to beg less for her
attention and she didn't act quite so violently towards him,
refraining from hitting him over the head even when he said something
stupid. It was really quite interesting watching them interact, but
Sai felt that it was all he ever got to do; watch from the outside as
if he were behind a pane of glass.

As he walked out into
the bright Konoha sunshine, the artist was determined to formulate a
plan that would bring the three of them closer together. It wasn't
like he was jealous of the fact that the two got along better with
each other than with him. He simply wished for his team to be close
knit to provide better mission results.

Tucking the book under
his arm, Sai decided to track down the silver haired man that had
lent him his research material. While the book had solved some
aspects of the female enigma, it presented others and his team leader
seemed to be quite knowledgeable on the subject. How could he not
after reading all those books? Sai shuffled off to the training
grounds in search of the silver haired team captain who probably had
his nose buried in a book at that exact moment.

Sai had been right in
his predictions of where to find the older man and what he would be
doing this time of day. Kakashi was perched high in a tree, back
slouching against the thick trunk and legs dangling lazily from a
branch. An orange book similar to the one Sai had under his own arm
currently had the elite ninja's full attention.

Sai stood at the base
of the large tree and looked up at his team captain who had to know
he was there. It was not easy to sneak up on a shinobi of Kakashi's
caliber. However, the masked man continued to read on as if he were
oblivious to everything else in the world. Sai wasn't surprised.
His team leader was often like this when reading his books and now
the artist could see why. They certainly were fascinating.

"Excuse me,
Kakashi-sempai!

At the sound of his
name, the Sharingan user finally lowered the book that had been
covering his face and glanced down at the ground.

"Why hello there
Sai," he said, giving the younger man a friendly eye crease. "I
wasn't expecting to see you since we don't have team training
scheduled for today. What brings you here?"

The stoic ninja held up
the borrowed copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

"I have a few
questions about this book sempai. It seems to me that women are
complex and confusing creatures and I would like to better understand
them."

Kakashi couldn't help
but grin beneath his mask and replied, "Yeah, you and every other
man alive."

The silver haired ninja
dropped from his perch to land soundlessly beside the newest member
of his team. He was glad the young man was finally taking an interest
in the opposite sex. After all, the kid was already twenty and the
time for his hormones to kick in was way overdue. Kakashi had begun
to wonder if ROOT had conditioned the sexual impulse right out of the
pale skinned artist, but then was pleasantly surprised one day when
the young artist had asked to borrow one of the books he was always
reading. Kakashi was only too happy to oblige and it seemed the novel
had further piqued Sai's interest in women.

"Chances are you will
never be able to understand women completely," Kakashi stated.
"Their moods are constantly shifting and just when you think you
can predict them, they change all over again."

Sai's brow furrowed
in contemplation. "So what can I do to get along with them? Most of
the time it seems that they only want to interact with me through
acts violence."

Kakashi chuckled as he
settled into a lazy slouch against the tree, crossing his arms
casually over his chest. It was true that Sai was anything but a lady
killer. His people skills were horrible at best but it didn't help
that the women he saw the most were Sakura, Ino and Tsunade; three of
Konoha's most short tempered and fiery willed females. No wonder he
associated the opposite sex with pain.

"It's all about
being sensitive Sai. You can't just blurt out whatever comes into
your head. Doing so will put you in the same position as Naruto who
suffers Sakura's wrath almost daily."

The artist looked down
at the book in his hands and then back to the Copy ninja.

"So if I am sensitive
towards women, I'll be able to participate in the acts described in
these books?"

Kakashi wasn't sure
to laugh out loud or cry for the poor kid. Despite being a battle
hardened killer, he was utterly clueless when it came to handling
everyday life.

"I'm afraid it's
not that simple," he said, shaking his head. "Seducing a woman is
even harder than interacting with them. You have to make her feel
comfortable around you and gain her trust. Otherwise, she'll never
consent to anything more intimate."

"I see," Sai said
thoughtfully. "So these intimate acts, they strengthen the bond
between the people who partake in them?"

Well, yes," Kakashi
said, a little surprised by the oddity of the question. "Sex is
often treated casually, especially among shinobi, but some women
place tremendous importance on it. Strong emotional ties can be
formed between two people so be careful about whom you choose to
pursue. Women often put a greater emotional emphasis on sex than men
do and that's how women end up getting emotionally hurt."

"Hmm…interesting,"
the artistic ninja mused, appearing to think over what Kakashi had
said. "So…for this bond to form, does the woman have to reach
completion? All the woman in the stories always seem to."

A slender silver
eyebrow arched upwards into his hairline. This kid really was a
strange one, but given the fact that Sai had been raised for the sole
purpose of killing without showing weakness or humanity, Kakashi
figured the least he could do was satisfy the young man's curiosity
by answering a few questions and hopefully set him straight.

"Well, she doesn't
have to finish but it certainly helps. However, getting a
woman to achieve orgasm is not as easy as these books make it seem.
It takes skill and patience and a lot of communication with your
partner. You have to focus on her needs and not your own or she will
never reach her peak."

"I see," Sai said
with a nod of understanding. "So what can I do to make sure she
finishes? Should I use the methods described in this book?"

The dark haired shinobi
flipped open the book to a particular scene that had intrigued him,
complete with a coinciding illustration on the opposite page.

Kakashi stepped away
from the tree to peer over the younger man's shoulder before he
chuckled and nodded.

"As a beginner, I
would recommend using simpler methods, but don't think she likes to
be touched only here and here."

The ninja emphasized
his point by pointing to the drawn woman's bountiful breast and the
trim path or hair between her legs.

"Touch her everywhere
using your lips, teeth, tongue, fingers, anything. Be creative but be
respectful of her. The situation may change and you'll have to
adapt, just as if you were fighting an opponent. Use your instincts
and your own originality and you'll probably have her coming back
for more."

"So, there is no
single method for giving a woman an orgasm…" Sai murmured,
repeating the fact almost to himself.

"Sex is not a
science," Kakashi chuckled in amusement. "But once you've had
some practice, you can try something a little more advanced,
something like this."

The Copy ninja flipped
open his own orange book to an illustration that made Sai's eyes go
wide. He stared at the detailed picture, his head tilting a little to
the side as he tried to make sense of the two intertwined bodies on
the page in front of him.

"Wouldn't that hurt
her?" Sai finally asked

"Not if done right,"
Kakashi answered.

"I see."

The masked man could
almost see the wheels in his head turning and he couldn't help but
wonder what this socially inept ninja was planning.

"Would it be possible
for you to lend me this book as well? This subject is quite
intriguing and I'd like to research it further if that's all
right with you," the ink user said.

"Sai, I have a whole
apartment full of these books and you're welcome to them. We can go
there now if you want and we can talk more on the way."

The younger man nodded
and gave his sempai one of his smiles that was almost certainly fake.
Kakashi didn't think the kid even knew how to smile for real, so
far repressed were all of his emotions.

The Copy Nin clapped
his team member encouragingly on his black clad shoulder. He wasn't
sure if he was being completely responsible at the moment, educating
an ex-ANBU member in the joys of sex and then letting him run rampant
through Konoha, attempting to seduce women without having a real
concept of how to properly socialize with others.

Sai would probably earn
himself a slap or two when he said the wrong thing to the wrong women
but hell, isn't that how everyone learned? Yes, Konoha's shinobi
were weapons of war but that didn't mean they weren't human too
and Kakashi was tired of sitting back and watching one of his own
team walk mechanically through life because he believed there was no
other way to live.

As the two of them
began to make their way toward Kakashi's apartment, the silver
haired man couldn't help but wonder if Sai's sudden interest in
women was spurred on by one in particular. He was about to ask but
then decided he probably didn't really want to know. Whoever it
was, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the poor girl.

He spotted his target
almost immediately. The pink hair made her easy to pick out among the
throng of people at the crowded bar and he pushed his way towards her
to take up the empty barstool at her side.

Sai wasn't used to
interacting in crammed environments. His work in ANBU hadn't
required him to interact with more than the occasional partner or
work as a three man unit. A lot of times he worked solo on missions
and slipped from shadow to shadow under the cover of night, melting
into the darkness and never alerting anyone to his presence. If
things went as planned, nobody ever noticed he was there, not even
the few he had been sent to assassinate until the kunai was at their
throat, but by then it was already too late.

Being a permanent
member of team seven however was a different thing entirely and Sai
often found himself unsure of what to do in a social setting.
Although he would have been more comfortable talking to Sakura
somewhere secluded, he supposed he should be thankful for the medic
asking him to meet her here. There had been more than one occasion in
his research material where the male and female made first contact in
a bar such as this before moving to more a private location and
engaging in intimate relations. Kakashi-sempai had even mentioned
that people went to bars for the express purpose of finding a partner
for the evening so perhaps Sakura desired the same thing he did and
wished to express it by inviting him here. After all, isn't that
how things started when Sakura and Naruto had gone home together? So
far, things were going smoothly.

After his chat with
Kakashi, Sai had visited Sakura at the hospital where she was helping
out for the day. She had seemed quite surprised to see him but was
too busy to talk properly and had suggested they meet later after her
work at the hospital was done.

As he took his seat,
the dark haired artist discovered that after reading Kakashi's
books, he was seeing Sakura in a whole new light. He noticed the way
her lips closed over the rim of her glass as she sipped her sake and
the way the muscles along the slender column of her throat contracted
as she swallowed. He noticed the curve of her breast and swell of her
hips, and though neither were as impressive as the women in the Icha
Icha illustrations, they were still pleasing to look at. What really
caught his attention however were her legs as they dangled off her
stool. They were long and slender and well defined without being
overly muscular. Her knee high black sandals hugged her calves like a
glove, accentuating their shape, and the bit of bare thigh that
showed below her skirt suddenly seemed far more intriguing then it
had the day before.

Despite the fact he was
constantly calling her a hag, he had always found her aesthetically
pleasing from an artist's perspective and had sketched her a few
times when he didn't think she would notice and beat him to a pulp.
But before, he had viewed her as a team mate, a comrade. Now he was
looking at her as a woman and couldn't help but wonder what places
on that smooth toned body would bring her pleasure if touched just
right.

"Hey Sai," Sakura
said with a smile as she poured herself another glass of warm sake.

The kunoichi had turned
twenty not too long ago and it seemed she was taking full advantage
of her new legal age. The pink haired woman noticed her teammate's
eyes shift to the half empty bottle and sighed.

"It was a long
day at the hospital," she stated, bringing the glass to her lips
once more.

Sai simply nodded
although he wondered why working an apparently longer shift warranted
extreme alcohol consumption. Perhaps he would ask Kakashi about it
later.

Sakura put down her
glass and let out a satisfied sigh as she felt the liquid burn her
throat and warm her stomach.

"So, what is it you
wanted to talk about?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Sakura, I am deeply
concerned about our ability to function as a team, not just you and
I, but Naruto too."

The medic rolled her
jade colors eyes and sighed, this time in exasperation.

"Despite all that
extra training he got from Jiraiya, he still acts like a complete
idiot sometimes. I can't believe he tried to pick a fight with you
in the middle of a mission and totally gave away our position. He
could have gotten us all killed!"

Sai nodded solemnly as
he watched Sakura take another swig of the clear liquid in her glass.

"But it's not just
Naruto," he said. "All three of us are lacking a base connection
that allows us to operate flawlessly together. However, you and
Naruto seemed to have a connection that's far deeper than anything
I have with either of you and it shows. You instinctually know how to
work with each other on missions and during combat, and while you two
don't always utilize it, it still is apparent."

"Well, that doesn't
really surprise me Sai," Sakura said, picking up her glass once
more. "Naruto and I have known each other since we were kids and
have been on the same team together since we were twelve. We
underwent training together, countless missions together, and I think
our mutual desire to bring Sasuke back tied us closer than anything.
You can't just expect that type of bond to form immediately with a
new member. It takes time."

While Sakura had a
point, there was something else in the equation. She had allowed
Naruto to connect with her not only emotionally, but on a physical
level as well. If what he overheard from Ino was true, their bodies
had been united as one and they had formed a whole new type of bond
with each other, a bond he longed to establish with his team mates as
well.

"I know that," Sai
answered calmly, fixating his dark eyes on the pink haired kunoichi.
"But I couldn't help but notice that the bond you have with
Naruto has grown even stronger lately. You two get along better and
you execute commands better. I was wondering if what happened between
the two of you could happen between you and me."

Sakura seemed to
stiffen in her chair, her green eyes growing wide before darting off
to the side and avoiding his onyx gaze.

"I don't know what
you're talking about," she mumbled before retreating to her drink
again, holding the glass to her lips so she wouldn't have to look
at him.

Sai was confused. Why
had she become so withdrawn at the mention of her altered
relationship with Naruto? She was acting like it had been a negative
experience yet, from the way they acted around each other, he guessed
their time together had been quite enjoyable. Perhaps she didn't
want anyone to know what had transpired, but that didn't make sense
to him either. If their coupling resulted in better teamwork, what
was there to be ashamed of?

This must be a perfect
example of a woman's moods shifting. Sakura's frame of mind had
changed almost instantly at the mention of the apparently touchy
subject and now he would have to adapt to the situation just like
Kakashi had said he would. Perhaps a change of scenery away from the
crowds and cigarette smoke would help her open up.

"Do you want to go
for a walk?" Sai asked suddenly as his female team mate drained her
glass.

"A walk? Where to?"
Sakura asked skeptically, reaching for the sake bottle only to
discover that it was empty.

"Anywhere is fine. It
just seems a bit crowded in here."

"It's not crowded.
You're just anti-social," Sakura said with a giggle, her mood
once again fluctuating. Sai wondered if all women were this unstable.

He noticed she was
about to signal the bartender for another bottle and reached out to
her, closing his hand gently around her wrist. He had been taught the
effects of alcohol on the human body during early training. Poor
judgment, slowed reflexes and memory loss weren't side effects any
shinobi should wish to attain but everyone seemed to drink anyway.
Sai personally never touched the stuff and if he was to coax Sakura
into physical union tonight, he didn't want her experience dulled
by alcohol that could potentially weaken the bond formed between
them.

"You don't need
another bottle Sakura," he said, his voice gentle, but firm.

Sakura stared at him in
surprise and for a moment, contemplated shaking him off roughly and
ordering another round, but in the end relented and gave him a small
smile.

"Ok," she answered
simply.

Sai responded with a
smile of his own though his was undoubtedly fake, his eyes squinting
closed, hiding the fact that the smile did nothing to warm their dark
depths. She wanted to see him smile for real, just once, yet she
doubted the ex-ANBU even had the ability.

Her team mate stood and
held out his hand to her, fake smile still intact.

"Shall we go?"

Sakura allowed him to
pull her up from the stool and guide her through the smoky room
toward the door. Despite the fact that he was completely clueless
when it came to life outside of shinobi duty, he still had some good
qualities in him.

They emerged into the
cool evening air and Sakura filled her lungs with it, welcoming it
after the murky haze that had filled the bar. The moon was nearly
full and bathed the village in soft blue light. Sai's pale skin
practically glowed alabaster under the moon's radiance, emphasizing
his face, midriff and his right arm which wasn't covered by his odd
half jacket.

They meandered for a
while, chatting casually although the conversation usually ended in
Sai becoming confused to what exactly they were talking about. In so
many ways, the dark haired man was just like a child; eyes barely
opened to the world around him. He had an innocence about him that
seemed so out of place considering he had the capacity to be deadly
and ruthless. Sakura found the revelation to be simultaneously
frightening, endearing and a little sad.

After a bit, they came
to the red bridge on which she had spent so much time with Naruto and
Sasuke in their youth, usually waiting for their chronically late
sensei to appear. The water flowed silently beneath them but all
around were the sounds of frogs calling in the night.

Their walking slowed
and came to a stop and Sakura leaned casually against the guardrail,
her elbows resting on the wood behind her as she looked up into the
darkened sky, marveling at the moon and its brilliance.

Sakura was preoccupied
with the blackness above her and didn't notice Sai watching her
silently. His eyes drifted over her from head to toe and he decided
that she really was rather attractive and was glad that the teammate
he planned to couple with was so easy on the eyes.

"Sakura, do you agree
that Team Seven's lack of cohesion is a problem?" he asked
softly.

"Well yeah, it's
pretty obvious isn't it?" Sakura said without shifting her gaze
from the stars. "Some days we mix just about as well as oil and
water."

"If there was a way
to fix the problem, would you do everything you could to help?"

"Of course Sai, but
solutions aren't that easy, it's not like we can—"

The kunoichi cut her
own sentence short as she felt as she felt her team mate's presence
draw much closer to her. He was so close that she could feel the
warmth radiating from his body. He was indisputably invading her
personal bubble when usually he kept his distance and Sakura, in her
slight alcohol induced haze, didn't know what to make of it.

"Good. That's
exactly what I wanted to hear Sakura."

The pink haired woman
barely had time to react as she felt his hands come up to lightly cup
her cheeks, trapping her face in his grasp as his lips descended on
hers. His body pressed against her, pushing her back into the
weathered wood of the bridge. Her eyes grew wide as she realized just
what exactly was happening. Sai, the out of place, socially retarded
weirdo, was kissing her! Hadn't they just been talking about
solutions to fixing their poor performance as a team? What the hell
did this have to do with anything? And why was she standing there
like a statue as he brushed his lips over hers without her consent in
this ridiculously romantic setting?

Regaining her wits, she
pressed both hands on the artist's chest and shoved him away. He
stumbled backwards in surprise and eyed her quizzically. She wasn't
supposed to act like that. The women in Kakashi's books were always
reduced to needy, wanton creatures at the first kiss but his own
rendition seemed to be having little effect on his female teammate.
In fact, it seemed to anger her. Maybe his kissing technique was
lacking.

Sakura gingerly touched
a finger to her lips as if they burned from the contact before
turning incredulous and infuriated eyes on the dark haired man in
front of her.

"What the hell is
wrong with you?" she practically screamed before wiping her
mouth savagely with the back of her hand. "What made you think that
it was ok to kiss me?"

The singing of
countless frogs grew silent at the sound of her angry voice. The
stood bathed in moonlight with only the occasional buzz of a night
insect sounding around them.

"I thought you said
you would do anything to improve our performance as a team," Sai
said after a moment, genuinely confused by the medic's outburst.
Hadn't she just said she would willingly help in any way she could
to enhance their teamwork? Maybe the alcohol she had consumed earlier
was already affecting her memory

"I did," Sakura
replied. "But I don't see what the hell that has to do with
kissing!"

Sai tried advancing on
her again, reaching out his hand to take hers.

"Don't you see
Sakura? If we join our bodies, then the union of our minds will
follow. We will be able to strengthen our bond and become a better
team."

For a moment, Sakura
just stared at him slack jawed. What the hell was he talking about?
Joining their bodies? He didn't mean…

Sakura's eyes flicked
down to her hand held in his and then back to his face which was
currently displaying one of his false, squinty eyed smiles. She
didn't know too much about the newest member of her team but she
was pretty sure he was completely ignorant when it came to sex. He
couldn't even have a decent conversation for crying out loud.

She tried to jerk her
hand away but Sai just pulled her towards him, wrapping an arm around
her lower back and kissing her again. This time the press of his lips
was more forceful and insistent but Sakura would not be subdued.

She wrenched herself
away and balled her hand into a fist, intending to deliver not just a
slap or a solid punch, but a slightly chakra enhanced blow that
probably would have sent him straight through the wooden bridge and
into the stream below.

Years of ANBU training
proved useful as Sai nimbly avoided her attack, dodging to let her
follow through with the attack and connect with nothing but air while
he easily maneuvered behind her.

His research had never
reported a woman reacting so violently to attempted seduction, but
then again, none of them were Sakura. What should have been an
effortless process of stoking her passion and leading her home to his
bed was proving to be quite a tricky task. Circumstances had changed
once again just like Kakashi had warned and now he would have to
adapt once more. It seemed a more forceful method would be needed.

Sakura whirled around
on her opponent, chakra infused fist poised for attack, when she saw
Sai making the final hand signs for an unknown jutsu. She moved to
strike him in the chest and prematurely end his attack but his
fingers were already glowing with chakra.

She glanced to his face
warily. She still knew so little about what he was capable of and had
no idea what attack he planned to use on her. After his completely
unforeseen attempt to kiss her, Sakura had no idea what to expect
from him anymore.

She lunged at him
again, intending to strike him low at his center of gravity but he
was already moving away from her and the alcohol had taken the edge
off her fighting abilities. Her fist grazed his hip and while it
threw him off balance, it didn't knock him down. He recovered
immediately and was already behind her before she could turn. She
gasped when she felt his fingers come up to her temples and rest
there with a surprisingly gentle touch considering they were in the
middle of a fight.

However, the tingle of
his chakra told her she'd been caught by his attack and instantly
she felt consciousness slipping away. The world dissolved into black
and soon she sagged heavily in her teammate's arms.

The dark haired artist
let out a sigh. Why were women so difficult? He hadn't wanted to
resort to this but apparently it was necessary with a person like
her. He gently hoisted her unconscious form over his shoulder and
began walking towards the edge of Konoha where his current residence
was. On his way there, he only passed one other couple, out taking a
late night stroll. When they looked quizzically at the slender man
with a body slung over his shoulder, he simply offered them a fake
smile and stated,

"Too much to drink."

Their sympathetic looks
were enough to assure him that he was no longer suspicious. At least
all the sake she had consumed was good for something.

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